Broken Bonds
by Annaelle
Summary: Missing scene at the ending of 4x09. The scene the promo promised us and we didn't get. Short story based on promo's for the rest of season four. SPOILER FOR 4x09.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the product of my infinite frustration after watching 4x09. I don't really think it's as good as my other work, but I do hope you guys enjoy it. **

**So please, R&R, people!**

**Oh, this is originally a oneshot, but I might be willing to extend it**—**if you are interested in that. **

**Let me know!**

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**Broken Bonds**

**Elena's POV**

Her body was aching—it almost felt as though she was being split in half. There was a large, dominant part of her that was telling her to just sit back and go home with Bonnie, like Damon had told her—he _had_ said it would make him happy, and that was all she wanted.

But the smarter, more rational part of her knew that Damon had been lying—he just did what he thought was right, what he assumed was right—but how could he know? How could he possibly believe that what she felt for him was not real?

Was that not why she had fought it for so long? Because it was real? Because it was far too terrifying to consider?

She wanted to stay with Damon. She wanted to wrap him in her arms and never let him leave again—she knew it would make them both deliriously happy, as it had three days ago—_before_ Stefan and Caroline ruined it with their chatter about her sire bond.

She was _sure_ it had nothing to do with what she felt—all that had happened after she was turned was that her feelings for Damon became nearly impossible to hide—it was why she had broken up with Stefan.

Speaking of... What the hell was he thinking?

Why did he find it so hard to believe that she had feelings—genuine feelings—for Damon? He'd been raving over every tiny little thing with Damon while they were dating—afraid he would lose her to his brother.

Which he did, in the end.

Her anger rose to the surface once again. Who the hell did Caroline and Stefan think they were, talking about her, deciding she didn't know what she felt?

Really, come on. She and Stefan were the definition of high school sweethearts—and high school sweethearts tended to grow up and break up.

That's exactly what happened to her and Stefan—she bit her lip. They'd only made their relationship supposedly epic and eternal to survive all the supernatural crap that life decided to throw at them.

She sighed and leaned her head against the window, staring at the trees as they blurred by. She wanted to yell at Bonnie to stop the car—she couldn't comprehend the idea of staying away from Damon—it hurt.

It tore her up, almost like a wild cat sinking its claws into her skin and tearing her apart from the inside.

And then suddenly, her breathing was restricted—it was as though a million tons had been pushed down upon her chest—and though she did not _need_ to breathe, it was terrifying.

'Bonnie,' she choked, the weight seemingly pressing down harder upon her chest, 'Bonnie, stop. Stop the car.'

'Elena?' Bonnie sounded slightly alarmed, 'Elena, what's going on?'

Elena's vision was blurring, black spots popping up whenever she blinked, as the pressure on her chest increased and the pain tore her up from the inside.

'Stop the car!' She screeched, clawing at her chest, willing the pain to just disappear—what the hell had brought this on?

As soon as Bonnie's car lurched to a stop, Elena grappled at the door handle, nearly ripping the door off in her haste to get out of the restricting car—surely the pressure would disappear once she could breathe the fresh air.

Only it didn't.

It increased—the pain was unbearable by now—and she couldn't think of anything else. She wanted it to stop—she needed Damon to make this stop—he would, wouldn't he? He always made sure she was okay.

And then it hit—she just had to go back. No matter what Damon had said—going back was the only thing that would make them both feel better.

The second that thought hit her mind, everything fell away—and she was free.

There was no more pain, no more conflict, no more pressure.

She was going back, and she was going to fight for Damon—he'd been fighting for her all along—it was her turn now.

She got to her feet slowly, shaking off the last remnants of the pain, her mind made up. She turned around and looked back to where Bonnie stood, a frown rippling her forehead.

'I'm going back,' Elena said, looking her friend straight in the eye, 'I have to.' She knew Bonnie and Damon had a tense relationship—but Bonnie merely smiled and nodded.

'I know,' she whispered, 'Go. Make him listen.' She must have been able to read the astonishment from Elena's face, because she grinned and continued, 'I'll probably never like him, but you love him. And as much as I hate it, he makes you smile like I haven't seen you smile in years. He makes you happy.'

Elena smiled, 'Thank you, Bonnie.' Bonnie merely smiled and nodded. 'Go get him, Elena.'

Elena smiled and turned to look in the direction of the lake house.

_Ready or not, Damon, _she thought, _I'm coming back for you. _

* * *

**Damon's POV**

He watched Bonnie and Elena drive away, his knees nearly buckling with the sheer amount of pain doing the right thing caused.

It was worse than having to compel her to forget he loved her—it was tearing him up.

She had actually asked him not to do it this time—she'd begged him not to give up on them before they'd had a real chance.

But he had.

He needed to.

Seeing Elena with Jeremy and Bonnie earlier had been the wake-up call he needed—she deserved that life.

A human life.

Her feelings for him would... Disappear. She would go back to loving Stefan—the thought made his stomach churn—and she would be happy.

She always had been. She never needed him like this before—it had to be the sire bond.

He watched the car until it disappeared from his view—and once it did, he let a deep breath escape. He did it.

He let her go.

A single tear rolled down his cheek. She was gone. This time, she wasn't coming back.

He turned away from the road, back to the house, and was surprised to see Jeremy standing behind him.

'What's up, little Gilbert?' He smirked, painting his indifferent mask back on his face. It was easier that way—he needed to switch it off when it came to Elena. That was the only way he was going to survive not being with her—not giving into her again.

Jeremy stared past him, to where Elena and Bonnie had disappeared. 'You're wrong,' Jeremy said, still not looking him in the eye, 'You shouldn't think letting her go is the right thing to do.'

Damon was baffled into silence.

What the hell?

Little Gilbert was lecturing him? What alternative universe did he end up in?

Jeremy turned to look at him. 'I don't like you. Hell, I hate you. But Elena loves you. She smiles, Damon. I haven't seen her smile like that since our parents died. Whatever your brother told you, whatever you think you just solved...'

Jeremy trailed off and smirked, 'She's never going to give up on you. Please, don't let her lose someone else she loves.'

Before Damon was able to pull himself back together, Jeremy disappeared back inside. Damon's head was reeling—what the hell was going on?

For real? Vampire Hunter Jeremy Gilbert was lecturing him—a vampire that had actually killed him once—how to love his sister—who was also a vampire?

But maybe he had a point—Elena smiled when they were together—she always managed a smile when he was joking around with her.

Maybe he was right—maybe Elena wouldn't give up.

Maybe—he halted himself right there. No.

No.

He was right to let go of her—she would be happier without him.

He swallowed and closed his eyes—he _needed_ to do this. It was not just about Elena—it was about his little brother too.

And no matter how much he hated the little fucker at times, he couldn't be selfish with Stefan anymore than he could with Elena.

That was why he needed to let go—he couldn't lose his brother over a woman again. Been there, done that, never wanted to go back again.

And so, he let go.

He turned back to the lake house, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps. It was better this way—he was used to being alone. At least the two people he loved most would be happy and together, so they'd never be alone.

It really was better that way.

It had to be.

* * *

**Elena's POV**

She was running—running faster and faster the nearer she drew to the lake house.

One more corner—one more corner and she would see the house. And Damon—she would see Damon.

But the closer she came, the more she started worrying—what if he would send her away again? Perhaps she was overestimating his love for her.

After all, she'd turned him down so many times... Maybe he was simply tired of fighting for her—maybe it was too hard. She'd been afraid of that day for months—the day Damon would decide that he had had enough—the day he'd decide he didn't want her anymore.

She slowed and shook her head. She was being ridiculous.

Damon didn't want to let her go—not when he finally had her. She had seen it in his eyes.

She just needed to show him that the sire bond was not an issue—that it would never be an issue. She smiled, energized with new determination. She was not going to let him walk away from her. Not this time.

And before she knew it, she had raced around the final corner, and the lake house emerged before her.

She stopped running as she reached the driveway and slowed her pace to a casual stroll. She hoped she could find Damon before she'd see Jeremy or Shane—she really didn't want to explain to those two why she was back.

Her heart was beating faster than its usual, slow, sluggish pace—she was nervous. Hell, she was terrified. She needed Damon to listen to her before he'd undoubtedly start yelling at her.

She raised her eyes from the tips of her shoes—she was going to fight for him, no more delay—she was done fighting it.

She wanted to fight _for_ it. And she was going to. Damon deserved someone who'd fight for him. It was time she'd be that person. Time to be the woman he deserved.

Instantly, her gaze found Damon. His back was turned to her, but she saw the way his shoulders were sagged in quiet, secret agony—she had been right. This hurt him as much as it did her.

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but no sounds fell from her lips. She was unable to actually say the things she had come here to say—she could not say anything.

Nothing made sense.

Nothing but him.

His name fell from her lips before she could stop herself. At the sound of her soft, breathy whisper, Damon tensed up and froze, his foot raised to take another step.

She could almost hear the radars in his head turn, trying to figure out how she was here, and how he would be strong enough to make her leave a second time.

'Damon, look at me,' she whispered, knowing he'd hear her. She watched the muscles in his back twitch and tense before he slowly turned on his heel, flashing down the steps towards her. Elena swallowed nervously, but stood her ground.

She could see his blue eyes flashing dangerously, and she knew he was close to losing his temper—he was livid.

She was not supposed to come back.

'What are you doing here?' He growled, stepping up so close, she could feel the tension radiate off his body. 'I came back for you,' she whispered, meeting his penetrating gaze dead-on.

She was not going to back down.

Not this time.

She could see the muscles in his jaw thicken. 'I told you to go home,' he choked, and she could feel how hard he found it not to just take her in his arms and hold her there forever—well, she was going to make a little bit harder for him.

Slowly, so he had plenty of time to see what she was going to do, she reached for his hand. 'I know you did,' she said, 'I didn't listen.'

He closed his eyes and breathed in sharply when she took his hand in hers, before groaning, 'Elena, I need to do right by you.'

She smiled softly and stroked his cheek. 'And I need to do right by you. I'm not going to let you walk away, Damon.'

His eyes snapped open, and she could read the pure agony and conflict in his stormy blue eyes. 'I told you to go. How are you here?'

She smiled again. 'I told you the sire bond had nothing to do with what I feel for you. My feelings are far stronger than the stupid sire bond.'

His bewilderment turned into understanding, and a heart-achingly beautiful smile appeared on his lips. 'You broke it,' he whispered, cupping her face in his hands, tilting her head up slightly, 'You broke the bond.'

She nodded as best she could, with his hands still hot on her cheeks. 'I did. So will you please stop running away from me?'

He stilled as she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. 'Stefan's never going to believe us,' he whispered, and her heart ached at the pure devastation that wrecked his features. 'What if he—' she shook her head and pinned his lips shut.

'This is _our_ time, Damon', she smiled, repeating his own words back to him, 'It wasn't right before, but it is right now. No one is going to take that from us. Not even Stefan.'

His eyes seemed to melt, and her heart melted into a puddle of goo at the sight he made. Slowly, he reached up to pull her hand from his lips.

'I love you,' he breathed, 'I love you so much.'

She smiled and wove her fingers in his hair, pulling his lips down to hers. As they kissed slowly, languidly, she marveled at how good it felt to be kissed by someone that loved her so completely, so truly. She had no doubt that Damon loved her for different reasons than Stefan did—but never once had Stefan made her feel like she belonged.

Slowly, she broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against Damon's as they stood locked in their intimate embrace. His hands had drifted down to her hips while hers had found their way into his hair.

'Damon?' she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him.

'Hmm?'

She smirked. 'Open your eyes, love.'

At the word 'love', his eyes did indeed snap open, filled with startling amounts of love, confusion, and hope.

'I love you,' she whispered, 'So, so much. I couldn't have broken the sire bond for anyone else.'

'You do?' he breathed, his eyes shining with more emotion than she had ever seen before. She nodded and tiptoed to press her lips to his softly. 'I do,' she muttered against his lips, 'Now take me back inside. Jeremy is staring at us.'

He smiled into the kiss and wrapped her up in his arms so completely, she was sure he'd never let go again. As they flashed inside and crash-landed on the bed in the nearest bedroom, she felt her heart expand to hold all the love she had been denying herself for ages. Damon's lips trailed to the corner of her mouth, down her cheek to her neck—and that's when it struck.

'Damon,' she moaned, writhing beneath him, 'Drink from me.' He stilled and glanced up at her, indecision written clearly in those bright blue orbs. She smiled and nodded. 'I'm sure. I want this to be just yours.'

He grinned devilishly and went back to lavishing her neck with kisses. As his fangs sank in her skin, her world exploded in pleasure—and she felt free once again.

Damon was smirking cockily when she came down from her high, and she was aching to wipe that smirk off his face. Before he got a single word out, she flipped them and pinned his hands above his head.

'My turn,' she purred, her eyes darkening and her fangs lengthening already.

They spent the night as they had three nights before, and as they would whenever they could from now on—in each other's arms, words of love and affection, of devotion and loyalty whispered over their heated skin.

They were raw.

They were real.

They were Damon and Elena, and no one was going to break them apart.

Never again.

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**Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Wow.. So I was really surprised by the amount of response you guys gave me, but I am also really psyched about it, so thank you all so much!**

**Because you guys are so awesome, I decided to just upload one chapter - maybe two - a week, the last being uploaded the day we'll get to see the real deal again.  
That should keep us going, right? **

**Anyway, this is a transitional chapter, full of Delena fluff - Usually, I don't really write fluff, so if it's no good.. Blame it on that - the action will begin next chapter, though I'll lay the main focus on Klaus, Jeremy, Damon, Elena and Stefan. **

**I don't really wanna delve into the whole witchy thing - it would take me far more than a few chapters to deal with that one ;)**

**Anyway guys, R & R! **

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**Chapter Two**

**Damon's POV**

He awoke to sunlight streaming into the room—awoke to an achingly familiar scene. He was resting comfortably on a mountain of pillows, the sheets twisted loosely around his body—and he was alone. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow once again.

It could not have been a dream, could it? He scoffed internally—of course it could. Having Elena break her sire bond just so she could run right back into his arms did sound all too good to be true.

And then there was the small matter of his brother—if it were true, and his imagination had not decided to torture him, it would kill Stefan. Damon loathed it, but he knew Stefan still believed this was all a phase Elena was going through.

Stefan was banking on Damon sending her away—and all of a sudden, it infuriated him. Of course, he _had_ sent her away, but he hadn't done it so she could run back to Stefan. He'd done it because he needed to be sure—because she needed to be sure. Because he loved her.

The memory of her confession brought a smile upon his lips, even though he still wasn't convinced it had been real—he was still 50 % sure it had been a dream.

A great, sexy, marvellous dream—but a dream nonetheless.

He was broken from his thoughts by the soft click of the bedroom door, followed by the soft patter of footsteps heading straight for the bed. He nearly shot up into a defensive crouch when he caught a whiff of honeysuckle—and just like that, his worry dissolved into nothingness.

It wasn't a dream—she was right here.

So why the hell wasn't she in his arms yet?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he moved faster than he could comprehend, rolled over, grabbed Elena—who had been watching him sleep at the edge of the bed—and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body as he buried his face in her hair.

She squealed and smacked his arm—which only made him smile—before draping an arm around his waist and pressing a kiss to his chest.

'Good morning,' she muttered, and he smiled at the happy, upbeat tone in her voice—Yup. She was as blissfully happy as he was.

'Hi beautiful,' he whispered in response, tightening his grip on her. 'Where were you?' He asked, jutting out his bottom lip in a pout, 'I woke up all lonely.'

She giggled and tugged on his bottom lip. 'I was checking on Jer and Shane. They were outside running laps, so I got us some blood bags and came back here.'

'Hmm,' he mused, revelling at the feeling of rightness that descended upon him, 'I would've loved to wake up with you in my arms though,' he confessed, 'So please stay next time?'

She grinned. 'I loved waking up in your arms. I'll stay next time.' He smiled happily and pressed his lips firmly to her temple, wrapping her in his arms.

Elena let a content sigh fall from her lips—something that made basking in his happiness far easier than it should be—their world was still upside down, and there were plenty of problems waiting for them in Mystic Falls—but he could not bring himself to care.

He was happy.

For the very first time in a 146 years, he was genuinely happy.

'You know,' Elena breathed, nuzzling further into his body, 'we'll have to get up eventually.' He growled in protest, tightening his arms around her—he had no intention of going out to face reality today. Last time he'd had Elena in his bed and they'd gotten up, bad things had happened.

Nuh-uh. He was so not falling for that trick again.

He was staying right there.

'Nope,' he replied, pulling back just far enough to look at Elena, 'We are not leaving this bed.' She raised an eyebrow at him, trying to hide the amused smile that was pulling at the corner of her lips. He smirked and flipped her onto her back, wedging his body between her thighs.

'I've got three days to make up for,' he grinned, nipping on her earlobe, relishing in the soft gasp that flew from her lips. Her arousal perfumed the air, and the last thought that crossed Damon's mind as she pulled his lips back to hers was that he was so right.

Not leaving that bed today.

No fucking way.

* * *

**Elena's POV  
Some time later**

She was completely spent, panting heavily—she had not been this out of breath since she had been turned. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Damon really did live up to his hype—and so much more. It made her wish she had not been so foolish as to reject him for so long, or to fight what she had felt for him.  
She had always known she would not be able to fight it off indefinitely—but she had tried nevertheless. It was terrifying, all-consuming, adventurous and even a little dangerous—but it was real.

It was what she wanted more than anything else—and now that she finally had it, she was never letting go again.

She pulled Damon closer and closed her eyes in bliss, slowly drifting down from the high he just delivered her.

'Still want to get up?' He breathed in her ear, his weight pushing her deeper into the mattress. She laughed breathlessly and shook her head, caressing the well-defined muscles of his back. 'I don't think I can,' she muttered, 'My legs feel like jelly. I thought vampires didn't get tired like this?'

Damon chuckled and rolled off her, pulling her into his embrace instantly, before she got the chance to miss his warmth. 'You'll feel better in a few minutes,' he smirked, 'and then I'll get you all tired again.'  
She grinned right back at him, enjoying the simplicity of their shared happiness—she did not allow thoughts of Mystic Falls, her brother, his brother, Klaus to burst their happy bubble—Damon was right.

They honestly needed to make up for those wasted three days—they deserved their five minutes. And she had to admit; she loved taking five minutes with Damon—even when they didn't drive halfway through the country to a bar.

'Will you now?' She smirked, moving at super speed to straddle him and pin his wrists to the bed. 'And if I won't let you?' His eyes had widened in surprise briefly, before that sexy glint she loved had reappeared—and she knew he was beyond pleased.

He loved it when she fought him for dominance—even though they both knew he usually won in the end.

His hands slid up over her bare thighs—she suppressed a shiver and smirked down at him—, 'Well, go ahead,' he grinned, 'Stop me.' She smiled saucily and leaned down, giving him a bird's view of her chest—it had the effect she was looking for—he was nearly drooling.

'Maybe I want you to convince me,' she breathed in his ear, nearly laughing out loud as he shivered when she grazed her teeth on his earlobe. 'You are such a minx,' he growled in frustration—she giggled. 'As if you don't like it,' she replied, smirking at him.

Before she knew what was happening, he flipped them over and pressed her into the mattress. 'I don't,' he breathed, their breaths mingling, 'I love it.'  
She felt her heart soar at his words and the love that seeped from his intense gaze—she didn't know how to respond to his passion, his intense love, with words—so she did the only thing she could to show him her love.

She pulled his lips down to hers, slipping her tongue between his lips—and for once, he allowed her to control the kiss. Her tongue slid tenderly along his, mating and twining with his, one hand burying itself into his dark hair, the other resting on his lower back, pulling his body so close to hers, nothing separating them anymore—and that was what she needed right now.

She needed him to be this close—she knew he needed this too—they couldn't have anything separating them anymore.

He pulled back to look into her eyes—and she was floored by the intensity of his gaze—and cupped her face in his hands.

'I love you,' he whispered, the words ghosting along her skin, raising goose bumps all over her body.

She gazed into his azure blue eyes, allowing herself to lose herself in his gaze—and for the very first time, she allowed herself to fall—and she wasn't scared of it anymore.

'I love you too,' she muttered.

And then his lips sealed over hers once again—and there were no more words between them.

* * *

**Elena's POV  
That night**

'Damon,' she moaned, attempting to dodge his roaming hands, 'Damon, Jeremy is waiting for us.' She pulled her shirt over her head and attempted to straighten her hair slightly—or at least to make it look less like she had just spent twelve hours rolling around beneath the sheets with Damon—not that she hadn't...

She just didn't want to look like it.

The man in question was standing behind her, his hands splayed out on her stomach, his lips firmly pressed to her neck. 'I don't wanna go,' he whined, 'I'll have to behave and not touch you—' He smirked at her in the mirror, '—and that is so not going to happen. I can't keep my hands off of you.'

She giggled and squirmed in his arms, only half-heartedly fighting off his advances—saying she wanted to have dinner with her brother and Professor Shady Pants—as Damon still insisted to call him—was one thing... Actually rejecting Damon when he was in full-on seductive mode was another—another rather impossible thing.

She had no clue how she managed to stay away from him for two years—once she'd given in, she couldn't get enough of him.

And she loved it.

It had never felt that way with _any_ of her boyfriends—and she liked it that way. It only proved what she had always known, and always fought—she and Damon did have something special; something most people would never have, nor experience.

'Well,' she said, breathing in deeply and steeling herself, 'you're going to have to.' She pulled his hands from her body, turned around, pecked him on the lips and darted back into the bedroom, hoping he wouldn't follow her too closely—she only had so much self-control...

And when it came to Damon, it was fragile at best.

Of course, he knew this as well as she did—and before she had a chance to shield herself, he flew into the bedroom and slammed her into the wall—her heart jumped in her throat and she barely managed a squeal before his lips roughly smashed onto hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, possessing, controlling, arousing.

And then he leaned back, his breathing ragged. She felt her heart beat slightly faster and smiled softly at him, stroking his cheek gently. 'You wanted to see your brother,' he breathed, his eyes stormy and filled with hesitation. She shook her head—she wasn't really too sure why she had wanted to leave the bed anymore. 'Never mind,' she whispered, her eyes fixed on his lips.

Something in Damon's eyes changed—hesitation was replaced by determination—before he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers. The soft, fleeting contact sent lightening coursing through her body, her inability to think straight when Damon was around increasing even more. He leaned back, staring at her, his eyes darker than she had ever seen them before. She was already breathing heavily, and the kiss had lasted less than three seconds.

Frustrated that he had leaned back, angry at herself for wanting more and feeling more daring than she ever had before, she grabbed his collar and crashed her lips to his again, making him groan softly at the sudden contact. He needed only a tenth of a second to react to the passion with which she had kissed him though. She poured in every ounce of passion and affection she had ever felt for him into the kiss, happily accepting the deepening of the kiss as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, completely lost in the sensation of kissing him, while he hoisted her up, pressing her against the wall, groaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. Her heart skipped a few beats when the protruding bulge in his jeans came into contact with her heated core. She moaned softly into the kiss and felt Damon smile into the kiss, his hands sliding down to her thighs, and she started rolling her hips against his.

She nearly fainted at the delicious friction between them. 'Jesus Christ, Damon,' she panted against his lips, 'Please, don't stop.' Damon, on the other hand, was no better off. He'd be more likely to take off his ring and go sunbathing than to stop kissing her.

He'd tried to hold back for so long—he was physically unable to stop now that he'd actually had her.

Elena let one hand—keeping the fingers of her other hand locked in his hair—wander, gliding over his chest, playfully popping open the first few buttons of his shirt. He growled against her lips, before letting his lips wander down her throat and whispering, 'You do realize your baby brother is in the next room, right?' Contradictory to his words, he let one hand slide under her shirt, lazily tracing circles on the smooth skin of her stomach. She gasped softly before retaliating in the same manner.

Damon growled at her and returned his lips to hers, kissing her even more passionately than before—if that was even remotely possible. Elena smirked against his lips and continued unbuttoning the shirt, oblivious of the world around her.

Suddenly, someone coughed loudly behind them, causing them to jump apart, Elena blushing violently. They turned around to see Shane standign in the doorway, smirking slightly. 'I'm sorry,' he smiled, 'I didn't mean to interrupt, but Jeremy said I better get you two out before you got to round... Twenty?' He shot them one last smile and left the room, leaving the pair of them, both too embarrassed to say anything anytime soon.

Elena bit her lip softly and glanced at Damon, who was standing a few feet away, his hair all messed up, his shirt half-unbuttoned and his eyes still darker than usual.

Christ. It should be illegal to look so sinfully handsome.

'Damon?' She muttered, wondering why he was so... Out of it, all of a sudden. She watched Damon snap out of the trance-like state he had been residing in and glance in her direction. It took him less than a second to cross the distance between them and to gently press his lips on hers again, proving all his love and affection to her.

His hand on her cheek left her skin tingling. Instead of pushing him off, she kissed him back, her fingers playing idly with his hair as they kissed. She felt her heart skipping several beats at how good kissing him felt. Realization finally sunk in. She was kissing her ex-boyfriend's brother.

She was actually kissing him. Kissing _him_.

Kissing _Damon_.

She never wanted to stop. Unfortunately, Damon disagreed and broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. 'We need to stop—or I won't be able to.'  
She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. 'I know. Is it always like this? It was never like this...' Damon sighed. 'I don't know,' he finally admitted. 'But I can hardly imagine anyone else being as epic as us.'  
She looked up into his eyes. 'I think I should go home tomorrow. I need to tell Stefan.' He shook his head. 'I don't want you to have to tell him alone. He should hear it from me. I'm his brother.'

She bit her lip. 'But I'm his ex. He should know—I can't expect Caroline to lie to him any longer.' He sighed. 'Can we talk about this later? Your brother and the creepy professor are waiting for us.' She groaned when she remembered the other two people in the house.

Damon chuckled softly and moved out of her embrace, running a hand through his hair. She sighed and straightened her shirt, covering the exposed skin, and ran a hand through her hair too, though she knew it was probably hopeless. Damon grinned and took a step closer again. 'Here,' he began, 'Let me fix that for you.'

She dropped her hands to her sides and let him run his fingers through her hair, 'fixing it', as he so charmingly put it. When he stepped back with a satisfied grin on his face, she smirked and took a step closer to him, reaching for the buttons of his shirt.  
'Here,' she mimicked his words, 'let me fix that.' Slowly, she started buttoning the shirt again, making sure she brushed her fingers over his skin every single time before she covered it with his shirt again. Her fingers stilled at the last button, and Damon groaned softly. She shot him a questioning look.

'It was a lot more fun watching you take the shirt off than putting it back on,' he explained, a boyish grin gracing his features. She giggled and bit her lip while looking up at him. When she'd buttoned his shirt again, she let her hands linger on his chest longer than she should've—but she just couldn't help herself. Damon chuckled and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

When he leaned back, he whispered, 'I know we weren't supposed to talk about this now...' His boyish smile made her tummy tingle, 'But does this mean I can actually call you mine now? _My_ girlfriend?'  
She grinned, touched by how vulnerable he sounded for a moment. He opened up to her—it was all in her hands now. She swallowed thickly, her throat feeling oddly restricted for a moment.  
Finally, she managed to choke out, 'If you have to ask, I wasn't doing the kissing-part right.' A huge smile appeared on his face, and before she knew it, he wrapped his arms around her waist, swept her off her feet, his lips crushing hers again.

* * *

Elena leaned on the railing, staring out over the lake, deep in thought. Last time she'd been here, she had been so in love with Stefan... But—like she'd told Damon—it didn't feel like more than a memory.  
She'd always love Stefan—he had been her first love—but she wasn't _in _love with him anymore, and she hadn't been for a long time.

She'd been clinging onto what they had because he had been the only thing to make sense amongst all the supernatural crap life had thrown at her. And maybe, once upon a time, she _had_ believed she would always love him, she had believed she could wait for him—but she was young; naive.

Damon had snuck into her heart and took possession of its entirety, leaving no more room for Stefan.

And as she stared to the lake, she finally felt the gravity of how her world had changed—how everything had shifted. Time no longer seemed like an issue, for she would be given an eternity to live—an eternity she hoped to spend with a certain Salvatore brother.

The only thing standing in the way of that future, that dream—was the other brother.

She wasn't sure how to tell Stefan—though he should know something was up—she and Damon were practically inseparable nowadays—she knew it would break his heart to know Elena was with Damon of her own volition, but he deserved to know the truth.

She was aware that Damon wanted to tell his brother—partly because he did feel guilty; partly to shield her from Stefan's anger—but she knew he needed to hear it from her. It had been her fault it had been stretched out this long in the first place.

She had always known she would choose Damon in the end—she should've been honest with both of them earlier.

Elena nearly jumped a foot in the air when a pair of arms slid around her waist, but she relaxed when she recognized Damon's scent. She leaned back against his chest and relaxed, relishing in the safety of his embrace. He rested his chin on the top of her head and his hands on her stomach.

'What are you doing out here?' He whispered, not breaking the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded them. She shrugged and rested her hands on his. 'Just thinking,' she replied, hoping he'd avoid the Stefan-subject. She didn't want to fight right now.

Today had been perfect—their secret, selfish day—the day they'd never gotten.

She did not want to spoil it by bringing up Stefan.

'About telling Stefan,' he deadpanned. She sighed. He never really was one to beat around the bush—she shouldn't really be surprised.

'Yes,' she admitted, twining her fingers with his, 'And about how he's going to take it. I mean, I know he knows something's up, but...'

'But the thought that you would actually choose me probably hasn't even crossed his mind,' Damon muttered, and she felt the bitterness and sadness weigh through in his words.  
Alarmed, she turned in his embrace and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look down at her. 'Damon, I _am_ choosing you. You know that, right?'

He nodded, but his jaw was still thick with tension, and she could feel his emotional withdrawal as clearly as though he was actually walking away.

'Damon,' she whispered, pushing down the panic that was rising in the pit of her stomach, 'I mean it. I always thought it would be you in the end... I told you I wasn't thinking about 'always' when I chose Stefan. I just...' She hesitated and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest while pulling him close, as though he would suddenly disappear.

'I was scared. I am scared. But you were right—I wanted passion, and adventure and even little danger. I always wanted you, Damon,' she looked up into his stunning blue eyes, 'I was just too scared to admit it. I love you, Damon,' she whispered, 'I'm always going to choose you. I promise.'

She could see the moment his walls broke—she could see the moment he let her in completely—and it filled her with joy she had never before experienced.

'God, I love you,' Damon grunted, before pressing his lips to hers in a short, passionate kiss. She giggled and pulled him closer, until there was not an inch of space between their bodies, their lips still joined, tongued mating passionately and hungrily.

A sudden chill ran down Elena's spine as a harsh voice snapped through their passionate haze. 'Well, isn't this cute?' They pulled apart, though she kept her gaze trained on Damon, whose eyes were fixed on something behind her.

She turned around, all-too-aware of Damon's hands holding her as close as he could, and her eyes widened in surprise. Right there, in front of her, covered in blood, an angry, rage-filled expression on his face, stood Klaus.

He tilted his head to the side, and a sinister smile played his thin lips. 'Hello Elena.'

* * *

**Okay, so ... Minor cliffie :D **

**Anyway, R & R people! It inspires me to keep going! Next update sometime next week! **

**I love you guys! **

**Xx Annaelle**


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys are awesome! Thank you for all the Favs, Follows and Reviews!**

**Promise to upload again soon!**

**Anyway guys, R & R! **

* * *

Chapter Three

**Stefan's POV**

He was furious—heartbroken—betrayed.

He could not believe Damon would lie to him like that. He had honestly believed his brother loved Elena enough to let her go—he had counted on it.

He had always known, deep down, that Damon would do anything to keep both him and Elena happy and safe—as much as he often tried to hide it, Damon had always been the righteous one of the Salvatore brothers.

And Stefan was all-too-aware of that fact.

And he hated it.

He loathed that, no matter how much he tried, he would always possess a darkness in him that Damon did not have. He would always feel as though he was a lesser to his brother, because Damon excelled in being a vampire—even though he had not wanted to be one to begin with.

So when Stefan had first laid eyes on Elena, he had been convinced that she was it—she had to be his redemption. She looked like Katherine, but was her polar opposite—it could not be a coincidence.

She was his second chance.

And Damon stole her—the thought ignited the rage that had been residing deep within him, and clouded his rational mind. He _knew_ Elena wasn't the kind of girl to be influenced, least of all by his brother, and he _knew_ she and Damon had something long before she was turned—but he didn't _want_ to believe it.

He could not.

If he chose to believe it, it would mean he had lost—and Damon would have finally won. In the one battle that mattered most, Stefan would have lost.

It did not even matter that Stefan had always been given everything his brother had to fight for—he did not care. All he wanted was to be better than Damon. To prove that he _was_ capable of being the good brother, of getting the girl.

Damon had ruined too much in the past century and a half.

He should not be given his happily ever after, and especially not with Elena. Stefan suppressed the urge to throw the couch at the wall.

Elena was his.

He had found her first. He had kissed and touched her first.

She was destined to be his redemption—another reason for him to find the cure. She could not be his angel, his redemption if she was a creature of the night too.

She could not save his soul when hers was in danger of being tainted too, could she?

Most of all, he needed her so he could show Damon who was calling the shots here. Damon might be the one to do the dirty work, and he might be the one to get them out of sticky situations, but Stefan _had_ to be the one to be right.

He had to show everyone that he could still be the humanized version of Stefan he had been a year ago.

And Caroline believed him—Elena's best friend believed in him; she saw it too. She saw that Elena belonged to him, not Damon.

If Caroline saw it, Elena would too, wouldn't she?

He needed her to see it too.

She couldn't choose Damon—she had chosen Stefan the night Ric died, when it mattered most—she had shattered Damon's heart, but had saved Stefan's—that proved it, didn't it?

That girl would never betray him like this.

It had to be the sire bond.

Damon took advantage of her—it was the only thing that made sense to his confused, angry mind.

His brother used the sire bond to force Elena to be with him.

As he thought the words over and over again, repeating that tiny sentence over and over again in his head, Stefan finally managed to calm down.

Caroline was still sitting in the armchair, regarding him with a guarded, worried expression. Stefan was not even sure why she was worried about him.

He would tell Elena about the sire bond, and tell her how Damon used her, and she would come back to him. He would find the cure and turn them both human again, and the world would be right once again. He would keep the cure from Damon—he did not deserve a second human life; he had done too much evil and never showed remorse for any of it.

Yes, his brother did not deserve the cure.

Stefan smiled. And he was going to make sure he never got it. Damon was going to pay for that eternity of misery he had vowed to give him.

'Stefan?' Caroline's soft voice snapped him from his hateful haze, and he turned to her, forcing himself not to alarm her. 'Stefan, are you… Are you okay?'

Stefan felt a smile spread on his lips at her question.

'No,' he muttered, 'No. But soon, I will be.'

* * *

**Elena's POV**

She stood frozen in Damon's arms, her back pressed against his chest, as they both stared at Klaus with varying degrees of fear and concern coloring their expressions.

She knew that she should be afraid—and she was—but there was an underlying worry that she simply couldn't shake. Klaus had been… Mellow, even friendly, lately, and she wondered what the hell could have happened to make him revert back into the violent, threatening persona he had been before she had turned.

She ignored Damon's growl of protest and moved out of his embrace, approaching Klaus tentatively.

'Klaus, what happened?' She asked, cautiously and carefully to stay out of his reach. Klaus cocked his head to the side and seemed to appraise her—her gaze nearly made her squirm, but she stood her ground. She was not a weak human girl anymore, and she refused to let Klaus terrorize her once again.

'You do not know,' Klaus spoke softly, almost as though in wonder, 'Do you? Neither of you know.'

Elena felt Damon tense up behind her and take a step closer, but she shook it off—what the hell was Klaus going on about?

'Did something happen?' She whispered, her voice cracking with fear—fear for Caroline, and Bonnie, and even Stefan—'In Mystic Falls? While we were away? The others… Are they—?' Her eyes blurred with tears at the mere prospect of losing someone else.

Damon sensed her discomfort and fear and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers, providing her with the little bit of his strength she needed. She shot a grateful smile over her shoulder and turned back to Klaus.

'Just tell us, man', Damon spat, patience rapidly running out. Klaus didn't make social calls—especially when he was covered in blood.

Klaus snarled and took a step forward, flashing his fangs at the pair of them, and before Elena got to protest, she found herself behind Damon, her fingers clutching at his shirt, while he growled at Klaus, evidently ready to fight the Original to keep him away from Elena.

'No, no,' Elena gasped, pulling at Damon's shirt, trying to push him back, 'There's no reason to fight _again_,' she insisted, ignoring Damon's annoyed growl. She was terrified—she hated this; she knew Klaus could take them both down before either of them could blink—and she knew she had to defuse the situation before it blew up in their faces.

Both Klaus and Damon were on edge around each other as it was, and she wasn't sure what had Klaus so riled up, but it did not predict much good.

'Klaus, please,' she breathed, positioning herself in front of Damon almost automatically, shielding his body with hers—though he tugged at her arm and growled in her ear in protest—, 'We're all on the same side now. What happened?'

'_Elena_,' Damon growled—she shivered when she felt his rage wash over her—, 'Why are you even willing to listen to him?'

Completely disregarding Klaus's presence, she turned around—facing Damon—cupped his cheeks and whispered, 'Because I need you safe too. Fighting is not going to help anything.'

She saw the protest form before he opened his mouth, and pressed her finger to his lips, shaking her head vigorously. 'No protest. Understood?'  
She stared into his eyes, willing him to just let her be the one to arrange everything just this once. She needed him to trust her—have faith in her.

Slowly, he nodded, reluctance still clear in his eye.

She nodded and turned around to face Klaus once again, her question halfway spoken when she noticed he was no longer there.

She frowned and looked around. 'Klaus?'

A twig snapped behind her—she nearly screamed as she whirled around. Klaus was standing right behind her, holding Damon in a death grip, squeezing him so tightly, Damon couldn't even move.  
Klaus grinned, revealing his fangs, only inches from Damon's neck—a spot her own fangs had claimed not even two hours before.

'No,' she breathed, anger pouring through her veins, 'Let him go. What did we do?'

Klaus smiled cruelly. 'Your friends thought it was okay to unsire every single one of my hybrids. They're all dead—I got my revenge on Tyler... But Stefan..' He growled, 'The only way to make Stefan hurt is to hurt his brother—so sorry it had to end this way. Almost poetic, though,' he mused, smiling as Elena tried to hold back her tears of anger, fear and frustration, 'Werewolf bites are your thing, aren't they?'

Elena's eyes locked onto Damon's and she tried to reach for him, but Klaus moved back faster than she could blink. 'Klaus, please,' she begged, the tears she'd been holding back spilling over her cheeks, 'Please, we have nothing to do with whatever they did. Please.'

Klaus laughed. 'Oh, love, do you honestly believe tears would move me? I am naught but a monster.'

Her lower lip trembled, but she felt an eerie calm take over her body. It was almost as though all emotions were drained from her, but one—her rage towards Klaus.

'If you kill Damon,' she said slowly, 'I will take off my ring, step into the sunlight and die. You will never be able to turn me human again, you won't have any way to make any more hybrids, and you will be alone. _Forever._'

'Elena,' Damon choked, 'Elena, _don't.' _She ignored the desperation in his plea and focused her attention on the man that had her lover in a chokehold. 'What will it be, Klaus?' she sneered, ignoring the way she reminded herself of Katherine, 'Revenge? Or hybrids?'

She watched, still unnervingly calm, as Klaus pondered the choice, his eyes dark storm clouds of anger and bitterness—he seemed to regard her, almost as if he were assessing her threat.

Elena sighed and shook her head. Honestly, it felt rather weird to care about things such as these. She knew she cared, but it did not consume her as it had earlier.

'Fine. Be that way,' she spat, rolling her eyes as she pulled her ring from her finger without a second thought, sped towards the edge of the lake and raised her hand, fully intending to toss it in.

She remembered Damon's warning—vampires did _not_ like to swim.

'No!' Klaus cried, 'Fine!' She suppressed a smug smile and turned around, raising an eyebrow at him. 'Yes, Klaus?'

He growled at her, but released Damon, pushing him forward, so he stumbled in Elena's direction. And all of a sudden, her emotions slammed right back into her at full force, and all she could do was worry about Damon.

She flashed over to him, falling to her knees next to him, cupping his cheeks, forcing him to look up at her. 'Are you okay?' She whispered, tears already fighting their way back to the surface.  
He nodded and searched her expression. She shivered when he stroked her cheek with his thumb. 'Are _you_?' He asked, worry lacing in his tone.

Klaus laughed, snapping their attention back to the blood-covered hybrid. 'It seems your girlfriend just had her first experience with her humanity switch,' he grinned—Elena frowned in confusion. 'But... I didn't...'

Damon shook his head, pressing his lips to her forehead. 'We'll talk later. What do you want from us, Klaus?'

The hybrid tilted his head. 'You are here to help Jeremy grow his Hunter's Mark, am I correct?' Damon helped Elena to her feet and glared at the hybrid, while Elena nodded slowly.

Klaus nodded. 'See to it. It needs to be done quickly. I no longer have any hybrids—and that is most unfortunate. If not, I will kill your dear Damon—no matter what retaliation you have in mind.'

Elena shivered at the cool intense rage that radiated from Klaus as he spoke—but she and Damon nodded nonetheless. Klaus remained for a second longer before blurring away, leaving the couple standing alone, shivers running up and down Elena's spine.

She turned and ran straight into Damon's embrace, the tears she had been suppressing finally running down her cheeks. Damon kissed the top of her head and stroked her back, whispering soft reassurances in her ear.

'You're okay,' he whispered, 'He's gone, we're okay. We're all okay.'

* * *

**Damon's POV – later that night**

Her tinkling laugh made his heart swell in his chest, and he wanted to curse himself for being such a sap when it came to her, but when she smiled at him, it somehow made everything else seem rather unimportant.

She had his hands pinned next to his head, and it kind of amused him—she knew he could pull free instantly if he wanted to—and yet she maintained the air of control she had.

'Tell me,' she whispered against his lips, making him smile all over again. He smirked cockily, knowing he was driving her crazy by not giving in, but the playful anger that radiated from her—and the expressions that came with it—were worth the effort of teasing her.

'I hate it when you refuse to tell me things,' she pouted, sitting up, her hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders. He rolled his eyes at her, his thumbs rubbing soft circles into the soft skin of her waist.

'Do we have to talk about this now?' He pouted at her, knowing it tugged on her heartstrings. 'We just had a really intense altercation with Klaus.'

'So, doesn't that prove we should talk about this now?'

He rolled his eyes at her. 'Honey, I'm _really _glad we're both alive,' he purred, 'I believe celebration is in order. Talking comes later.' He felt a shudder run down her spine at his words and smirked—that was the effect he was looking for.

He sat up too, her face only inches from his now. 'Now tell me you'd rather talk than kiss too, and I'll ... Squeal,' he breathed—feeling rather pleased with himself as he heard her sharp intake of breath.

Her eyes flickered down to his lips for a moment before she smirked and purred, 'You just won't give up until I put out, will you?' He had a snappy retort all ready to go for her, but his thoughts were entirely derailed when she trailed her hand down his chest, playfully popping open the buttons on his shirt, her fingers leaving goose bumps in their wake.

When she had the shirt completely unbuttoned, she pushed him down again, pressing her soft lips to his. The feeling of fulfilment and contentment when he kissed her took hold of him again, and he responded to her kiss with enthusiasm, tunnelling his fingers in her hair to pull her closer.

Soon enough, he felt that inexplicable, carnal need to rip her clothes off again, which he did, of course, as soon as the thought formed in his head.  
He ripped her shirt and tossed it to the side, not really caring where it landed—he had far more pressing issues to worry about.

Like that fucking sexy as hell blue bra she was wearing, or his near-painful boner.

But as he teasingly stroked the lace of her underwear, she sat up, pushing him down on the mattress and scowled at him as he blinked up at her in confusion.

What did he do now?

'I am not having sex with you,' she growled—and though he heard the words, it was rather hard to focus while she was straddling him, wearing only a short skirt and a bra.

'Why not?' He whined, thrusting his hips up a little.

She crossed her arms over her chest—which made him pout; why did she have to obstruct his perfect view on her delectable cleavage? —and scowled, 'I need to know what happened out there.'

He sighed and trailed his fingers up and down her sides teasingly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth when he felt her muscles tense under his touch. 'Elena, baby, I will tell you everything, I just really don't think it is necessary to tell you all about it _right now_.'

She rolled her eyes and made to get off of him, but he resisted—he liked her where she was right now. Like this, he could actually look at her, and try to find out what was really bothering her.  
It couldn't just be that he wanted to make love to her rather than spend the night talking about her vampire tendencies.

'Elena,' he muttered, cupping her cheeks and wiping a few stray locks of hair from her forehead, 'Is that really what's bothering you? I'm sorry,' he whispered in addition, when she didn't reply, 'I didn't think it was that important to you.'

She let out a deep breath and sagged against his chest, snuggling deep into his embrace. 'It's not... It's just... It was terrifying. I just couldn't feel anything anymore.' She sniffed against his chest, 'It just freaked me out how much I reminded myself of Katherine in that moment.'

He groaned softly and played idly with her hair as he stared at the ceiling, contemplating what to say next. 'Why didn't you just tell me?' He said softly, 'I would never have teased you with it if I'd known.'

She made a small whimpering sound and burrowed further into his arms.

'I didn't want you to worry. I just... I don't want to be like her,' she confessed softly, and he completely understood her sentiments.

He tightened his arms around her and pressed a soft kiss to her hair.

'I would never let that happen. I'd stake you rather than let you be like the she-bitch.' He slowly forced her to look up at him, so he could look into her eyes, making sure she would hear the truth and pure conviction in his voice.

'Promise?' She whispered, 'Promise you'll always be there to help me?'

'I will never leave you,' he muttered, 'I will always take care of you. I promise.'

* * *

**Okay, so ... The Stefan bit... I'm sorry for Stefan fans, I really don't like him, so if you are looking for a fic that makes Stefan look good... This isn't going to be that fic. **

**I'm kinda nervous, because I've never really written Stefan before, but anyway... I needed him to look kind of unstable and erratic, and I think that kind of worked...**

**Anyway, R & R people! It inspires me to keep going! Next update sometime next week! **

**I love you guys! **

**Xx Annaelle**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay... So remember when I said I would be finished with this story before the new epi?  
**

**Hehe, yeah, so not going to happen ;) I need at least three more chapters :D Sorry for the delay on this one guys, and sorry it's so short! **

**Just a filler! The next one'll be longer!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Elena's POV**

Elena sighed contently and snuggled deeper into Damon's embrace, unwilling to face the day just yet. She had promised Damon she'd go back to Mystic Falls today, to see how Caroline and Bonnie were holding up—to see what had Klaus go off the deep end once again.

To tell Stefan about her and Damon.

She groaned and buried her face in his chest, allowing the sound of his slow, steady heartbeat to appease her slightly. Damon had protested and threatened her, but she had eventually convinced him it had to be her to tell Stefan—she wasn't sure how he would take it, and she did not, in any way, want Damon anywhere near Stefan when she told him.

Not that she didn't trust Stefan—she knew him to be rational, calm, level-headed—but she knew Damon. If he were there, he'd probably make some kind of comment that would shatter Stefan even more than the news of their relationship would, and she did not want to be there when that happened.

But those were concerns for later.

Right now, she wanted to delay leaving as much as she could. She needed to distract Damon…

Just for a while.

She smirked. And she had the perfect way all planned.

Slowly, she pulled out of Damon's embrace a little bit, smiling at the sweet, innocent picture he made when he was sleeping. His lower lip stuck out a little bit in a tiny pout, his hair stuck every which way and his eyes were squeezed shut.

The sweetest though—the thing she loved most about his sleeping face—was how young he looked. When he was sleeping, all his walls were down, and he actually resembled the innocent, sweet man Elena had fallen so head over heels in love with.

Not that she didn't love all of him—she did, she honestly did—but she had fallen for that side of him first. The honest, loyal side of him—the side only she got to see.  
She hadn't known she loved all of him until much, much later. She had fought against falling for him completely—because she knew Stefan never would've stood a chance if she let herself accept Damon completely.

And she had been right.

Once she turned, she finally understood what Damon and Stefan had been trying to tell her all along—being a vampire was all about giving into or trying to fight urges. Sometimes, the urge was too much to fight—and whether you believed the action to be right or wrong—no matter how much it would hurt afterwards—you'd give in anyway.

So she forgave Damon for everything he had done—everything she had already forgiven him for—she forgave him and completely let the past go—and admitted to herself that there was so much more between them than mere friendship.

She stroked Damon's cheek lightly and smiled when he crinkled his nose.

After that, it hadn't taken her more than twelve hours to find Damon, tell him she did feel something more than friendship for him, and to fall into bed with him.

To be honest, she hadn't been planning on sleeping with him right away, but the second his lips touched hers, she was a goner, and she knew it.

Besides, she mused, tracing Damon's features with her fingertips, she'd been wasting two years already—no one could blame her—or him—for not wanting to waste any more time.

She was broken from her thoughts by a soft grunt from the man next to her—she smirked and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

'Hey there,' she whispered, wrapping herself around him, resting her chin on his chest, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes—she was perfectly aware of the effect that look had on him—and that was the effect she was looking for.

He blinked slowly and lazily, his gaze instantly meeting hers—that damn smirk already plastered on his lips. 'Hey back,' he replied, his voice hoarse and so-damn-sexy.  
She smiled saucily and straddled him, before leaning down to give him a proper kiss—distracting him might be the plan, but she was not unaffected either.

Damon had quite the profound effect on her libido. In fact, she was starting to think she'd already been with him more times in the past 72 hours than she had been with Stefan in their entire relationship.

She giggled and squirmed underneath him when he flipped them at super-speed, smirking down at her as she pouted at him.

'Not so fast, sweetheart,' he purred in her ear, 'I know what you're doing.' She gazed up at him innocently and bit her lip. 'I'm not doing anything... I waited for you so you could wake up with me in your arms. What else would I be doing?' She whispered softly, wiggling underneath him suggestively. He growled in her ear and nipped at her earlobe.

'Distracting me,' he replied, his fingers continuing their journey over her soft, tanned skin—she enjoyed the tingling sensations it brought her—, 'So you don't have to think about the next five days. You know you can't put it off forever.'

He moved his lips down her neck and nipped at the skin while she desperately attempted to remember the English language.

'Wh—what?' She managed to choke. Did he say five days?

Five?

Five fucking days?

He raised his head and smirked at her. 'I know.. How will you ever survive five days without my amazing company?'

She shook her head with silent laughter. 'Oh, dear,' she gasped when he startled tickling her softly, 'that big head of yours is going to get you in trouble someday.'

He raised an eyebrow at her and grinned mischievously. 'Oh, as if you don't love it. I keep your life exciting.'

She narrowed her eyes at him and flipped them once again, pinning his hands above his head. 'I'll have you know,' she growled softly, 'that my life tends to be far too exciting, even when you're not there.'

He smirked and rolled his eyes at her. Slowly, he glanced at his restrained hands, before he met her gaze. She felt a slow blush spread on her cheeks and butterflies erupt from the pit of her stomach.  
'You do realize you're not going to hold me for long,' he whispered, leaning up slightly to brush his lips across hers.

She grinned and kissed him back softly, before pushing him down and leaping off the bed. 'You know what,' she said, grinning at Damon's stunned expression, 'You're right. I can't keep putting this off forever.' She bit her lip sexily, 'Maybe should just... Get my stuff... Have breakfast... Take a long, hot, soapy, wet shower...'

Damon moved so fast, she didn't even see him before he slung her over his shoulder. 'Ah!' She squealed, 'Damon! Put me down!' She reached down and managed to swat his behind playfully.

He laughed deliciously and slapped her behind right back. 'Nah-uh,' he teased, 'You went and got me all hot and bothered—Now you suffer the consequences.'

She giggled and pressed her face against his back. 'Consequences? Oh, what ever do you have planned for me?' She could practically hear his smirk as he said, 'Getting your stuff, having breakfast... Taking that _long, hot, soapy, wet _shower.'

She wanted to protest—and then her mind was bombarded with images of what Damon could do to her in the shower.

Oh.

Right.

That really would be a very, very hot shower.

* * *

**Stefan's POV**

That infernal, annoying, stupid bitch!

Rebekah was back—and she was already out causing trouble. She had come to find him the very moment she had heard about his brother and Elena being together—offering herself up as a rebound girl, reminding him that they were in love once.

Stefan had merely laughed and shook his head.

Elena was not truly in love with his brother. She was supposed to be Stefan's—he would turn her human once again, make her pure—so he could be with her again.

Rebekah had been furious with him—she still did not want to find the cure, and Stefan almost wanted to dagger her once again—and he would have, if only she had not hidden the dagger somewhere no one would find it.

He sighed and sat down on his bed. He had wondered if he should go to the lake house to confront his brother with his wrong-doings, but had ultimately decided that it would be far more satisfactory to tell Elena the truth and see his Damon's world of lies crumble around him.

Elena would hate Damon—as she should have done ever since they met.

Stefan frowned slightly at that thought; he knew Damon and Elena had a thing—but it could not compare to the love he and Elena shared—of course it could not.

He was certain Elena was _his_ soul mate. Not his brother's.

'Stefan?' He looked up from his hands and smiled at Bonnie, who tentatively smiled back. She seemed rather on edge, and he wondered why that was.

She could not fear him, could she?

No, that would be foolish to assume—Bonnie had always trusted him more than she had trusted any other vampire.

'Bonnie?' He replied, standing up—he was genuinely curious. Why would she be here?

'Hey,' she smiled, 'I just wanted to see how you were doing... You know, with everything that happened?' He was not sure where she was going with this.  
She must have read his confusion of his face, for she elaborated immediately, gesturing wildly. 'With Klaus, and Tyler's mom and Rebekah... And Damon and Elena...'

Stefan felt his inner turmoil rear up once again at hearing his brother's and _his_ girlfriend's name being uttered together—as though they were together.  
He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at Bonnie's ignorance. Elena was not in love with his brother; she could not be, and everyone would know that soon.

Everyone would understand and remember why Damon was the bad brother, and he—Stefan—was the good brother.

He forced a polite smile on his face and inclined his head to the small witch. 'I'm fine, Bonnie. I don't know what to do about Rebekah or Klaus yet, but I'm sure we'll figure something out. And Damon and Elena—' he nearly choked on the words, '—I'll deal with it.'

That seemed to appease her, and Stefan smiled as she nodded, smiled and made her goodbye.

Good.

At least she was out of the way.

He knew Elena was coming home today—she had texted Caroline—and he would be waiting for her.

He needed her to understand the horror of what Damon was doing to her. He would be there to help her get through the betrayal—he would fix her.

He had to.

* * *

**Elena's POV**

She slung her bag over her shoulder and sighed one more time. She really didn't want to go back to all the Mystic Falls drama—she'd much rather stay here with Damon in their perfect soap bubble—even though her brother did have _horrible_ timing.

Damon chuckled behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a soft, loving kiss to her neck. 'This was your idea, you know,' he muttered, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

Elena sighed, turned in his embrace and rested her head against his chest, absent-mindedly playing with the zipper of his leather jacket. 'I'm just really nervous,' she said, her heart hammering against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and replied, 'We'll be fine. Stefan might throw a hissy it at first, but he'll get over it. We'll figure out this thing with the cure and what to do next, and we'll get some sort of a happily ever after. I promise.' She chuckled and nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck. 'I know that. It's just... So many bad things have happened when I was human, and I just... When I became a vampire, I wasn't all that thrilled at first, but I'm not sure if I want to be human again.'

He tightened his arms around her slightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 'We'll figure it out, Elena. There's no guarantee we're going to find the cure in the first place, no matter what Shane says.'

She nodded and smiled in the crook of his neck. 'I know. You're right.'

He grinned at the feeling of her breath tickling his neck. 'Of course I am,' he finally retorted, before releasing her from his embrace and checking his watch. 'Didn't Busboy say he was going to be here twenty minutes ago?' She grabbed his wrist and checked his watch too.

'Yeah, he did.' He rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, she clapped a hand over his mouth. 'So, he's a little late. It's no big deal. More time to spend with you.'

Matt had agreed to drive up here to help Jeremy train, and decided to drive Elena's car, so she could drive it back herself.

He sighed and pulled her hand from his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her palm before sitting down on the steps. When he sat down, he noticed Elena glaring at the empty road as she sat down next to him. He smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 'I thought you said it was no big deal, mia cara?' She smiled slightly at the Italian pet name and shook her head. 'It's not... I just hate saying goodbye to you.' He glanced at her. 'Sure. That's the problem,' he said, making sure sarcasm was dripping from every word.

She slapped his arm and laughed softly. 'Of course it is... I wish I could stay with you,' she scolded, but allowed him to pull her closer anyway. She revelled in the feeling of his strong enveloping her body in a warm embrace, his scent filling her nostrils with every breath she took. As she shifted into a more comfortable position, her head resting on his shoulder, her fingers laced with his on his lap, she studied their surroundings, enjoying the silence that surrounded them.

'I love you, you know,' she whispered, studying their linked fingers intently. He pulled her closer, kissed her temple and whispered, 'I really love you too.'

She leaned back to look in his sparkling, deep blue eyes and smiled when he immediately closed the distance again to kiss her. Nevertheless, she returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm, slipping her tongue between his lips as soon as she got the chance.

They were both so caught up in the kiss they didn't hear the car, nor the door slamming as Matt got out. 'Ugh..' His voice and cough was what finally broke them apart. Elena blushed and smiled timidly at Matt. 'Hi Matty,' she said, getting up and pulling Damon to his feet too.

Matt glanced back and forth between her and Damon for a moment, before they locked on their locked fingers. 'Soooo...' he drawled, 'What's going on _here_?' he gestured to their hands. Elena locked eyes with Damon for a split-second before smiling tentatively at Matt.

'We're... Together,' she said, not sure how Matt would respond. Damon _had_ killed his sister, after all. To her surprise though, Matt only shrugged, nodded and smiled at Damon. 'Congrats dude. It's about time.'

Damon smirked. 'I know, right?'

Elena's mouth popped open as she glanced back and forth between her boyfriend and her ex-boyfriend. 'Okay,' she drawled, 'I'm not even going to ask. I'm gonna... Take off.'

Damon pouted at her, and she couldn't suppress a giggle. She leaned up on her tip-toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 'I'll be back on Friday. Just five days,' she chuckled at his expression.

'I'll miss you,' she whispered against his lips, before pulling away, 'see you in a while.' Matt tossed her the keys and waved, before disappearing inside. Damon opened her door for her and smiled wistfully. 'I'm going to miss you too, babe. Call me when you get there.' She nodded, pecked his lips and got in. She fired up the car and reversed, waving at Damon, blowing him a kiss before she backed out of the driveway.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

Five days.

Just five days.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I just decided how this is going to end... ****And, I'm warning you up front, it's not going to be a happy end, nor is it going to be pretty. **

**That last epi was ... Amazing. Everything I've been waiting to hear since I started watching... And then I heard some pretty devastating news, considering our favorite vampires, in the next few epi's.. I'm not going to say much, to not spoil it for those who haven't heard yet, but those who do know will understand that I'm not in a very good writing mood right now. **

**The story might - I do stress the _maybe_ - have a sequel someday, if you guys really hate me for the unhappy ending. I think there'll be three to four chapters left. **

**Anyway... Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs everyone! You guys are awesome!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Damon's POV**

He was in a foul mood.

He was well aware that it was merely because of Elena's short, clipped phone call when she arrived at Mystic Falls three days ago—he just knew something was up, but he didn't know what it was—but he simply did not care.

It made his skin crawl.

He hadn't heard _anything_ from her since then. Complete and utter radio silence.

He did not like it.

Elena had assured him she was fine and missed him already, but there had been something about her voice that been... Off. He couldn't pinpoint the feeling, but it had his skin crawling. He wished he could just have gone with her, but he knew she never would've let him come.

She was way too stubborn for her own good—no matter how much he loved the stubborn streak in her; he was sure it would cause him gray hair if his hair _could_ gray.

He'd been pacing at the lake for the past twenty minutes, sulking and brooding, attempting either make up a great excuse to go back to Mystic Falls, or an excuse to bring Elena back up here.

Either way, he wasn't really making any progress.

Sighing, he turned around and headed back to the lake house, where Matt and Jeremy were wrestling. He rolled his eyes and leaned against the table, staring ahead, his thoughts scattering once again as he contemplated what the hell was up with Elena's sudden hot-and-cold-response.

He'd entertained the thought she might regret everything she'd said—but discarded it every time. He needed to trust her—she was not Katherine—she said she loved him and chose him—and so he believed.

He trusted her—there had to be an excellent reason for the sudden radio silence. Maybe it was her way of coping with not seeing each other for five days.

God knew he felt miserable about it. He missed her—missed holding her, kissing her, making her laugh, fooling around...

He just missed _her_.

'Did you see that?' Jeremy exclaimed, turning to him. Damon sighed, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at the kid and muttered, 'Couldn't miss it.'

He faced Jeremy and smirked. 'It was in slow motion.'

Jeremy scowled at him, and Damon might actually have laughed, had he been in a better mood. 'Well, then teach me something useful,' Jeremy exclaimed, glaring at Damon, 'We've been here for three days already and all you've been doing is bark orders!'

He sighed. Kid wanted a work out?

Fine by him.

'Okay,' he said, holding his hands up in defeat, 'Fine.' He unpacked the stakes and tossed one to Jeremy, vaguely wondering how well the kid would do. 'Take a seat at the bench, quarterback,' he smirked at Matt, 'Newbie kid wants a shot at the title.'

From what he'd seen before, Jeremy's basic Hunter's instincts were fairly well-developed, but simple and rudimentary. Damon nearly rolled his eyes as he recalled Elena comparing Jeremy's Hunter's skills with a raw diamond.

All he needed was some fine-tuning.

He tuned out Matt trying to talk Jeremy out of fighting him—which was a laughable attempt, really. Jeremy and Elena were both extremely stubborn—Damon knew that from personal experience.

Whatever those two had stuck in their heads, there was no talking them out of it once it was there.

'Well?' He asked, spreading his arms wide, raising a teasing eyebrow at Jeremy, waiting for him to strike. Somewhere, he really hoped the kid would be inventive—and then he simply charged at Damon.

Damon sighed.

Of course.

Simple. To the point.

And so honest-to-God-predictable.

He batted the stake away, grabbed Jeremy and pressed his back against his chest, his hand pressing heavily on the young Hunter's throat.

'Now,' he sighed, unaffected by Jeremy's struggles and wheezing, 'All I have to do is apply _a little_ pressure, and—'

'Come on, Damon,' Matt interrupted, 'He gets it. Let him go.' Jeremy was frantically slapping his arm by now, and Damon found himself once again, bored beyond belief.  
'Okay,' He shook his head and released Jeremy from his tight grip, grinning despite his bad mood when the boy stumbled forward a few steps before he was able to regain his balance.

Damon chuckled at the glare Jeremy sent him. 'Do you get it now?' He spat, advancing upon Elena's little brother, 'Vampires are strong, fast, and mean. I could've killed you before you could blink, Jeremy. Just because I didn't, doesn't mean other vampires won't.'

Jeremy merely pouted. 'So what? You don't care about me. You just want the cure so my sister won't be sired to your ass anymore.' Damon rolled his eyes. 'I don't need the cure for that, Little Gilbert. She already took care of that herself. But she loves you, which puts you on my to-keep-alive-list.'

Jeremy opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a deep, British voice—one that never predicted any good whatsoever.

'Ah, I do love family bonding time. What I'd love more is the smell of rotting vampire flesh. Anyone of you care to explain why there aren't any dead vampires littering around here?'

Damon clenched his jaw and glared at the man appearing behind Jeremy and Matt.

Great.

Just what he needed.

A stupid, nosy, murderous hybrid.

'Baby Gilbert, Quarterback,' he spat, 'go inside. I'll handle our... _Guest_.' He thanked the stars when the two just nodded and headed inside without protest.

Klaus tilted his head to the side, a smirk tugging on his lips. 'Protective, aren't you? Why hasn't he been killing vampires? I told you, you are here to grow Jeremy's mark. If you won't do it, I will find someone else to do it for me; no matter what your sweet little doppelganger threatens to do to herself.'

Damon rolled his eyes. 'You want to keep this Hunter alive, don't you? If I throw Jeremy out there right now, they'll rip him to shreds.'

'There's a whole town of people waiting to be turned just down the road, Damon,' Klaus growled, 'Newly turned vampires wouldn't stand a chance.'

Damon growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. 'Don't you think I've thought about that?'

Klaus laughed and shook his head, approaching Damon slowly—Damon swallowed noticeably and backed up a few steps. He vividly remembered how Klaus nearly killed him the last time they met, and he was in no mood to go there again.

'See, Damon,' Klaus drawled, that damned smirk still on his face, 'The sad thing is that you _did_ think about it; and you decided not to do it. Why's that?'

The uncomfortable feeling in Damon's gut increased—he wasn't sure if it was Klaus, or if it was Elena—but he knew it wasn't good. He hadn't been all that receptive of Elena's moods lately—mostly because it had been a few days since they last exchanged blood—but he could feel her; even if it was only slightly.

'Klaus,' he interrupted when the uncomfortable feeling switched to full-fledged pain, 'When's the last time you were in Mystic Falls?'

Klaus was obviously stunned by Damon's sudden interruption and frowned, not at all pleased about being interrupted while threatening Damon. 'Not since I left. Why?'

White hot searing pain shot through his veins and he cried out, doubling over in pain. 'Shit!' He cried, stumbling, grabbing hold of the table, the table top crumbling underneath his tight grip.  
Slowly, the waves of pain subsided, and he could breathe once again, though his thoughts were murky, tangled and confused.

He looked up at Klaus, who was watching with interest and a hint of concern, and spat, 'Something's wrong.'

* * *

**Twenty minutes later – Damon's POV**

Damon growled in frustration as he tried to get through to Elena. He sipped his scotch again, trying to calm himself and dialed her number again—but again, it went straight to voicemail. It wasn't like him to get all worried over her—she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself—but something was bothering him; a tugging in the back of his mind, as though he could sense trouble, but just didn't know where to look to help.

'Damn it, Elena,' he growled, 'Pick up.'

After the umpteenth time of reaching Elena's voicemail, he hung up and rubbed his temples. What the hell was wrong with him?

His skin was tingling—as though there were a million tiny spiders crawling just underneath the surface—and he was beginning to get a headache, which was completely ridiculous, when he thought about it. Vampires don't get headaches.

Klaus tilted his head to the side and regarded Damon closely—and it was beginning to annoy him to be honest. He all but growled at the man and turned to glare at the hybrid. 'What, Klaus? What's so fucking interesting and important right now? I need to get to Elena.'

Klaus merely grinned at Damon's obvious concern and discomfort and shook his head. 'Sire bonds are most interesting. As are blood bonds. Are you certain Elena is in danger?'

Damon opened his mouth to reply, but another wave of pain washed over him, and the only sound that passed his lips was a tortured cry. 'Damn it,' he cursed, running a hand through his hair. 'What the hell is going on in Mystic Falls?'

Klaus frowned, but before he or Damon could speak—Jeremy burst outside, clutching his phone, his face white.

'Damon! We need to go back,' he exclaimed.

* * *

Damon rubbed his temples in aggravation as he paced through the kitchen. Jeremy was leaning against the counter, his face drained from all colour.

'Why didn't anyone bother to tell me before?' He growled, his annoyance mixing with the strange numb feelings that dripped through his bond with Elena—all in all, enough to drive him up the wall. He needed to get Elena back.

Now.

Jeremy and Matt could save the others if they wanted to.

'Bonnie was worried that y—'

Damon growled and punched his fist into the wall. A sharp pain had penetrated his skull, as though someone was poking his brain with something sharp, pointy and hot.

Goddamnit.

That fucking hurt!

'That I'd what?' He spat, trying not to show the agony that seared through him, 'Try to kill her again? Drive the fucking white oak stake through her nearly non-existent heart? Of course, I would! That's what needs to happen!'

Jeremy approached him carefully, and he took a step back—he was not in control of his emotions, and he was going insane with worry over Elena—he knew most of the jabs of pain were hers. He couldn't allow himself to snap at Jeremy.

Now Rebekah… That was a whole different story.

'Damon,' He said cautiously, 'I know you're worried about Elena. I am too, but we can't just run in there, gun's ablaze, so to speak.'

'Worried about her?' He spat, nearly screaming in pain as another white-hot bold of pain shot through his body. 'They're fucking _torturing_ her, Jeremy! I'm _way _past worried! I'm fucking pissed off. Rebekah's the bad guy. She needs to die, and I'm willing to kill her. It's a win-win!'

'Damon,' Matt said softly, worry laced in his voice—it nearly made him combust with anger—, 'Please. So many people have died already, and no one wants to lose another friend. Don't get yourself killed because you can't wait.'

He growled in frustration when she uttered those last few words—not only because he knew she was right, but because he hated it when people did that. 'You _really_ need to stop doing that,' he spat, barely able to contain his temper.

'Doing what?' Matt asked, painting an innocent look on his face, though they all knew he knew exactly what he was talking about.

'Assuming that I'm going to play good guy, because Elena is asking me to,' he growled, narrowing his eyes at his human... Well, sort of, friend, his cool façade cracking, his anger, desperation and even his fear for Elena leaking through.

'You will though,' Jeremy whispered, 'And Elena trusts you, Damon. That's the only reason I haven't killed you yet. She needs you. Don't make me take that away from her.'

Unable to contain his boiling emotions anymore, Damon merely rolled his eyes, cursed under his breath as more pain washed over him and stormed out of the kitchen, the two boys following him on his heels.

He ran straight into Klaus, which was _not _good for his worsening mood—who instantly demanded to know what was going on. Unfortunately for Klaus, Damon was not in a sharing mood, least of all with his least favourite hybrid.

'Ugh, I so do not have time for you,' he spat, 'Get. Out. Of. My. Way.' His little remaining patience was waning, and he was seconds from simply snapping Klaus's neck to get him out of his way. He needed to get to Elena—NOW.

'We don't have time for this,' Jeremy stressed, 'We need to get Elena.'

Damon closed his eyes in desperation for a split-second—if Matt and Jeremy were to tag along, he wasn't going to be able to focus on saving Elena. '_We_,' he growled, 'don't need to do anything. I am going to take care of it.' He turned to Klaus—he had the most brilliant idea—'You. You want to know what's going on? Fine. Keep Hunter-boy and the Quarterback here, they'll tell you everything you need to know.' Without awaiting his answer, left, grinning when he heard Jeremy yell after him.

'Where are you going?' Matt yelled. Damon didn't even turn around as he replied, 'Back to Mystic Falls!'

As he left the house, he hurried to the side of the house, so he could not be seen from the porch or the window. Once he was sure he was sheltered enough, he allowed the blood bond and whatever little remained of the sire bond he and Elena shared to slam into him fully, so he could find her—he needed to know how she was feeling.

Almost instantly, pain washed over him, shattering the little self-control he had. It was as though there were several tiny little punctures marks all over his body, burning at the edges, keeping him from healing. A sharp stinging in the back of his neck distracted him from those little wounds though, making him want to cry out in agony.

He could feel the burning of vervain in his veins, but before the pain could completely overwhelm him, he managed—barely—to close the connection, stopping the flood of emotions and impressions Elena was subconsciously sending to him.

Holy shit.

He leaned back against the wall, trying to shake off the effects of feeling what she had been feeling—the only thing it had done was confirm what he already knew; they were torturing Elena.  
He didn't know why, nor did he particularly care, he just knew heads were going to roll because of it.

He tried not to think about the overwhelming sense of fear and desperation he had felt while connected to Elena. He didn't even want to think about the glimpses of memories he had caught either—memories featuring his brother as her tormenter.

Fuck.

What the hell was going on in Mystic Falls? Why the hell would Stefan ever _hurt_ Elena?

It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense whatsoever.

He growled as another stab of pain jabbed at his temple.

Fuck.

He needed to get there ASAP.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**You are all amazing. Thank you all for your amazing reviews, faves and follows!**

**I have not felt up to writing for a while, and I do sincerely apologize for the wait. I was in an accident and hurt my wrist, knee and head - the doctor banned me from writing and typing until it had healed.  
****The story has been beating the hell out of my muse, and none of the characters seem to want to cooperate, Damon least of all, which is why I saved the big confrontation for next chapter. **

**I promise this is nearly finished, and I know it will not end happily for everyone; I do insist on that. ****I have always written happy ending up until now, but this story simply does not allow me to write one; it will be a challenge. **

**I do, however, want to point out that there might be a sequel to the story, but I'm not sure yet. **

**Anyway, as many of you expressed confusion after last chapter, I want to point out that it was my intent to confuse you and keep the secrecy up ;) Trust me, it will all make sense before the end. **

**This chapter will, I hope, clear up some of the questions you all might have - but bear in mind, there is more to this that meets the eye ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Elena's POV**

_'Hmm...' she purred in satisfaction as his fingertips slid up and down her back, teasing her sensitive skin. She rested her head on his chest, allowing herself to drift off slightly, comforted by the slow, steady beat of his heart, as his fingers teased the skin on the back of her neck, massaging the skin around the bite mark he'd left gently, while they both waited for it to heal. _

_The mark she had left on him had healed already_—_Damon had laughed at her when she pouted and expressed her desire to visibly mark him as hers_—_he had reminded her that out of every woman he had ever met; every woman he had ever been with; a list that was far too long for her taste; she was the only one he had ever actually _shared_ blood with. _

_Granted, she did not like his high number of ex-lovers_—_least of all her mother and her best friend_—_; but she did appreciate what he was trying to tell her. _

_She pressed a kiss to his chest and smiled at his soft, satisfied sigh. 'What does it actually mean?' She muttered softly, after a short, comfortable, lazy silence. _

_'What does what mean?' His chest rumbled against her ear when he spoke and she giggled at the vibrations. _

_'Blood sharing,' she said, propping her chin up on his chest to look into his eyes. 'I mean, we've shared blood a few times now; will it do anything to us?' _

_Damon sighed and nodded slowly, but there was something in his eyes that threw her; apprehension? Fear?_

_'It might,' he finally said, 'It's not a given, and it doesn't happen often; but when we share blood more than once, a blood bond can form.' _

_She was stunned for a moment; did that mean she was tied to him forever? 'So... How do we know we have a blood bond?' She finally said, her mind still reeling with all the possibilities of what it could mean to have a blood bond with Damon_—_everyone had been giving them a hard time about the sire bond already; what the hell were they going to think about a blood bond?_

_Damon shrugged. 'I don't know. Apparently, it differs with everyone_—_some get exclusive access to each other's thoughts and emotions, others can sense when the other is near or in trouble... Sometimes a combination of all... It's complicated; I don't think we'll know until one of the _symptoms—_for a lack of a better word_—_set in.' _

_She nodded slowly. 'Is it ...' She hesitated, 'Is it permanent? If we do have one?' _

_Damon bit his lip and sat up against the headboard, biting his lower lip_—_clearly that was the thing he was most apprehensive of; he only bit his lip when he really didn't know what to do with the situation at hand. _

_'I don't know,' he finally admitted. 'Some say it is; some say it isn't... I think it depends on the couple... ' He was silent for a moment before he looked up at her; the full impact of his dazzling blue eyes hitting her all at once; and whispered, 'Would it be that bad? If it turned out to be permanent?' _

_The vulnerability in his voice nearly killed Elena_—_she cursed herself once again for not allowing herself to give into Damon earlier; because she had pushed him away time and again, he had himself convinced that she was going to change her mind any second; he still believed his brother was her so-called epic love. _

_It had made so much sense at the time; she wasn't ready to give in; to be completely swept away by Damon's love; so she had clung to Stefan as though he were the last lifejacket on Titanic_—_and in a way, that was what he had been for her_—_a lifejacket; a way to find her way back to who she used to be. _

_But the person she used to be; the person she was steadily growing into again; she was someone that couldn't love Stefan the way he deserved; and she knew Stefan could never love her_—_not if she was a vampire. _

_And despite knowing all that; she had clung to him and broke Damon's heart again and again; just because she wasn't ready for him yet; even though she had always known it would be him in the end. _

_So, slowly, she crawled up into Damon's lap, her arms wrapping around his neck while his hands fell to her hips, and pressed her lips to his in a soft, short, sweet kiss. _

_'Of course it wouldn't be a bad thing,' she whispered against his lips, 'I was just curious.' _

_He smiled against her lips, before pressing their lips together once again, flipping her onto her back as he left strategically placed kisses down her torso. _

_'I love you,' he breathed, smirking devilishly at her, right before he disappeared beneath the sheets. The first tingles of his amorous and very intimate kisses started to hit her instantly_—_she managed to choke an 'I love you!' before he catapulted her body into oblivion once again. _

Damon...

She needed... Where... Damon?

The first thing she became aware of as she slowly regained consciousness was something tugging at both her arms. They were stretched above her head, and no matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't get them down.

Only then did she realize that her eyes were still closed. Confused, she tried to blink, but her eyelids simply refused to cooperate.

Still fazed, she tried to remember how the hell she got here—wherever here was. Memories flashed before her eyes at a sickening pace. Damon's lips pressing on hers in a soft, sweet goodbye kiss before she'd leave.

Driving alone, fighting the urge to turn the car around.

Apprehension when she saw Stefan waiting on the porch when she got home.

Calling Damon to let him know she was home, and that she missed him.

Telling Stefan...

Her head slamming into the brick wall. Blood. Pain. Dizziness.

Stefan slapping her across the face because she struggled when he tied her up with vervain ropes.

Sharp pain. Fading light. Darkness.

Nothing.

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to alleviate the dizziness and the pounding that haunted her. Why was this happening to her? What the hell was going on with Stefan?

Why had he hit her? Tied her up?

Damon...

It had to be because she chose Damon.

Stefan was just hurt—acting out. Surely he would let her go as soon as he realized what he had done?

Now she needed to work up the courage to open her eyes and face Stefan Salvatore. And even if Stefan wouldn't let her go—something she did not even fully consider a possibility—Damon would know she was in trouble.

He always knew when she needed him to save her. He would be there if she needed him to be. And she needed to be awake when Damon would come for her.

She let out a breathy sigh, gathered all her courage and blinked.

Once. Twice.

Slowly, her surroundings came into focus, though the throbbing in her head and the stinging in her jaw made it hard to focus on anything. She was tied to a wall with thick, heavy chains—though her wrists were still tied together by vervain-soaked ropes—in a small, two-by-four room with cemented walls. She couldn't quite place the feeling, but she felt like she had been here before.

Stefan was nowhere to be seen.

Her shirt was torn and bloody, and for a horrible moment, she feared Stefan had fed on her—but then she realized it was most likely the blood he had spilled while slamming her head against the wall and slapping her across the face, bursting her lower lip. Her shoes had mysteriously disappeared, and her jeans was too torn and covered in dirt.

She exhaled in relief at that thought—no matter how much she had once loved Stefan; she wanted Damon to be the only one to ever have that part of her.

She took another shaky breath, whimpering when her injuries ached. She wasn't sure why her injuries hadn't healed; but deduced quickly that it had been a while since she had fed; that or Stefan had slipped her vervain.

Once again, her thoughts strayed to the younger Salvatore brother—she had no idea what had gotten into him.

She had thought he took her being with Damon fairly well at first—before he freaked out. The mere memory made her shiver.

She had to get out of there; it didn't matter if Stefan was usually the stable, reliable one; once his Ripper got the upper hand, she wanted to be as far away from him as she possibly could—adding deed to thought, she started tugging at the ropes that held her hands bound against the wall.

As soon as she started moving, something blurred before her and suddenly Stefan was there, only inches away from her. She startled and screamed in surprise, automatically flattening herself against the wall, desperate to create the distance between them.

She wasn't trying to hide her fear anymore.

No matter who he had been to her before, he had still hurt her—she didn't know why; nor did she care; but she didn't want to risk it happening again.

'Good morning, sunshine,' he purred, flashing his fangs at her in a horrifying grin. Her heart pounded in her chest, faster than it had in a very long time. 'Stefan,' she whispered, 'What are you doing? Why am I tied up?'

He chuckled and stroked her cheek. 'It's for your own good, Elena. Damon manipulated you and used you; but I'll find the cure for you; and once you're back to normal, I'll let you go.. It's only for a little while.'

At his words, her head snapped up and she was certain her absolute bewilderment was clear to be read from her face—he sounded completely delusional.

'Stefan,' she began, 'Damon's not using me or making me do anything. I told you that, remember?' She could instantly see her words had no effect whatsoever though.

Stefan kept shaking his head, muttering under his breath, before he appeared right in front of her again, his hands heavy her cheeks. Before she could contemplate her own response, she found herself trying to pull away from him, shying away from his touch.

Something was very wrong here.

'Whatever he made you do,' Stefan said, his voice so sickly sweet it nearly made her throw up, 'I forgive you. I love you, Elena. Once I get you back to normal, we can go back to the way things were before.'

'No!' She cried, before she could change her mind. 'Stefan, things are never going to go back to the way they used to be. I don't... I'm not in love with you anymore. I love Damon, Stefan, please...' She suppressed the urge to flip her switch and looked her ex-boyfriend straight in the eye.

She needed him to listen—surely he would understand.

Suddenly, the fingers of his free hand curled around her neck, forcing her head back, exposing her neck. He licked her neck, sending slightly unexpected shivers of disgust down her spine as she tried to get loose again. He let his hands slide to her breasts, cupping them in his hands in a way that felt entirely too wrong.

She struggled, trying to kick him away, but he immediately go of her, one hand sliding down to push her legs down, the other to force her face against the wall, so she couldn't look at him. She cried in pain when sharp shards of pain exploded in her neck as he sank his fangs in the soft tissue, completely disregarding how she struggled against him.

'Stop!' She cried, pulling furiously at the ropes that bound her, 'Stefan! Stop it! This isn't you.' She felt a wave of dizziness hit her when he finally pulled away from her, crimson smeared across his mouth and cheek.  
His lips were twisted in a cruel smirk. She stopped moving, tears running down her cheeks. Every time she'd move her head, aching and pain would shoot through her body.

Through blurred and teary eyes, she watched him running his thumb over his cheek, gathering some of her blood that had lingered there and his tongue flick out to taste the crimson liquid.

'Stefan, please,' she whispered, unable to raise her voice like she wanted to, 'You don't have to do this—you're better than this. '

But she could see her words falling into deaf ears—Stefan's eyes were dark and his fangs were still extended and smeared with her blood.

For the first time in a very long time, she was genuinely afraid of her ex-boyfriend.

'I will make you better,' he whispered, 'I will make you mine again—I will kill Damon when he comes for you, so he'll never hurt you again.'

'_You're_ hurting me!' She exclaimed. 'Stefan, we're done! We've been done for weeks! Damon didn't do anything I didn't want him to do!'

Stefan shook his head obsessively, much like a dog trying to rid its ears from water. 'No, no, no,' he muttered, 'she said he was forcing you—she had to be right—he cannot be loved!'

Elena's eyes widened in panic.

What the hell?

'Who? Stefan, who told you?' She prodded, 'What's going on?' But he didn't respond—he was simply too busy talking to himself and pulling his hair. She was beyond worried and terrified now—whatever was going on, Stefan didn't seem in control of his own actions.

She needed to use his distraction to get herself out—she added deed to thought and started twisting the ropes around her wrists. Suddenly, Stefan cried out, startling her—before he went back to mumbling incoherent words. She decided to ignore Stefan for the time being, focusing on how she was going to get out of this mess. If pleading with Stefan wasn't here to get her out of it, she would make sure that she would get out of it herself.

If she moved her hand like that—she twisted her right hand a little bit—the loops around it seemed to become a little bit less constricting, and maybe she'd even be able to get her hand out—if only she could get Stefan to keep looking away.

He was staring at the door now—almost as though he sincerely believed it would provide him with an answer; a way to handle the situation.

Elena did not bother to investigate his musings—whatever it was, it had Stefan behaving as though he had completely lost his mind—and she was going to get the hell out of there.  
Slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible, she wriggled against her bonds, loosening the knots around her right wrist enough to slip her hand out of the loops.

She nearly cried in joy when she succeeded in freeing her hand—but managed to contain her joy and untied her other hand at vampire speed.

Stefan was still pacing, facing the door, oblivious to Elena creeping up behind him, lost in his thoughts.

Elena breathed in deeply and flipped her humanity switch—it was far easier than she had thought, which scared her far more than she liked to admit—crept up behind Stefan, grabbed his head and snapped his neck, breathing heavily as she watched his lifeless body hit the floor.

Her mind was clear and unaffected by silly things such as human emotions.

All that mattered now was eliminating the threat and getting herself to safety—only when she was safe—back in Damon's arms—would she allow herself to feel again.

It was simple survival instinct.

She tied Stefan up with the same ropes that had held her before making sure he was still out cold—dead to the world—before she turned her back on him and opened the door; nearly tasting her freedom.

Nearly.

It was ruined when Rebekah appeared before her, her face twisted in an angry scowl—a scowl that sent chills down Elena's spine. Even without her emotions, Elena was well aware of the fact that she was no match for the thousand-year-old, rather pissed off Original vampire.

'Well, well,' Rebekah sneered, backing Elena into the room once again, 'What do we have here? Doppelganger back on the loose?'

Elena growled right back and righted herself, drawing herself up to her full height, schooling her features into the cold, hard mask she had seen on Katherine so many times. 'Oh, I wouldn't say that,' she spat, 'But we do seem to have a psycho Original Barbie on the loose.'

That set off Rebekah—her eyes darkened with hatred as she backhanded Elena so hard, she flew across the tiny basement, her face once again smeared with her own blood. 'Oh, dear, sweet Elena,' Rebekah grinned, 'You just had to go and steal _my_ Salvatore; both of them. If only you knew how to behave, I wouldn't have to do this.'

Elena spat out the residue blood in her mouth and scrambled back to her feet, feeling her own eyes darken with pure hatred. 'They are not yours,' she spat, 'They have never been yours, nor will they ever be.'

Instantly, she was pinned against the wall, Rebekah's hand heavy on her throat. 'I had Stefan,' she hissed, a deranged twinkle in her eye, 'but then he fell in love with you. And when Damon was mine, when he was finally moving on from you with me, you took him away too!'

Elena couldn't help herself—she felt no fear, only amusement at Rebekah's delusions. Damon had only slept with Rebekah because Elena had hurt him and he wanted to hurt her right back—something she had forgiven him for a long time ago.

She laughed and rolled her eyes at the furious blonde. 'Damon has never been yours—he never will be. What are you going to do? Kill me? Remember what happened last time you did that? Damon still has the stake. He will rip you limb from limb.'

Her words clearly had their effect—Rebekah's face transformed into the monster; veins wrapping around her eyes and her fangs extending, her nails digging into Elena's soft skin, before she lunged forward, sinking her fangs deep into Elena's soft skin.

Elena cried out in pain when Rebekah pulled away and yanked her hair, hissing, 'I would _love_ to see him try.'

With a harsh flick of her wrist, Rebekah slammed Elena into the wall before letting her go, smirking evilly at the youngest vampire Doppelganger.

'I am going to enjoy this,' Rebekah smiled, pulling a gun from her waistband and aiming for Elena. The first shot rang through the basement, ringing in every vampire's ears, followed by Elena's cry of pain as the wooden bullet dug deep into the soft flesh of her abdomen.

After a long, excruciating moment, the pain faded slightly, and Elena sagged against the wall, feeling her eyelids drop in pure exhaustion.

_Please_, she thought, begged, prayed, _please, Damon, stop her. _

After that—all she felt and was aware of was pain.

* * *

**R&R, people!**


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